Written By: Paolo Montoya
Antarctica, the ice giant at the south pole of the earth may hold much more than scientist once thought. Beneath the million square miles of ice, Antarctica may be hiding the remnants of several old continents from millions of years ago. This discovery came from the European Space Agency’s GOCE Satellite, a satellite put out into orbit to measure and analyze Earths gravity, finding its weak and strong points. By comparing changes in gravitational force, scientists are able to identify the composition beneath the surface of the ice. Scientists discovered cratons, the central regions of tectonic plates, as well as orogens, which are the result of tectonic plate interaction, “folding” the plates. These orogens are the predecessors to mountains. By analyzing these, they can be compared to the rest of the continents across the world.
